25th Anniversary Impact Report

25th Anniversary Impact Report

What makes college possible?

Someone who stays.

21% 541:1 40% gap in degree attainment between students from low-income & high-income backgrounds in Minnesota

student-to-counselor ratio in Minnesota high schools (3rd worst in the U.S.)

fewer students starting college compared to a decade ago

The Challenge

Minnesota has a college problem.

And it’s not what you think.

We’re one of the most educated states in the country. We take immense pride in our schools, our communities, and our students.

But underneath that pride is a reality we can’t ignore.

In Minnesota, a student from a low-income family is half as likely to earn a college degree as a student from a higher-income household. Compared to a decade ago, 40 percent fewer students are starting college. And for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, enrollment has dropped twice as fast as for their peers.

The support systems that should catch these students aren’t keeping up.

Minnesota has the third-worst student-to-counselor ratio in the nation; 541 students for every one counselor. Those counselors are stretched thin across mental health crises, administrative tasks, and college guidance all at once.

Meanwhile, the economic stakes are rising. The wage gap between high school and college graduates has hit a record $22,000. An estimated 70 percent of family-sustaining jobs in Minnesota will require a post-secondary credential.

Our students aren’t just chasing a dream; they’re chasing economic survival.

And too many of them are doing it alone.

Our Story

For 25 years, we’ve answered the call the same way:

BY STAYING. 8,274

program alumni to date

65+ College Possible Minnesota was founded on a simple belief: that with the right support, every student can make it to—and through—college. For 25 years, that belief hasn’t wavered.

We are the flagship site of College Possible—the largest in the country, three times the size of any other site—and we are deeply embedded in this state. Our coaches come from Minnesota communities. Our students attend Minnesota schools. Our graduates build careers, raise families, and give back to Minnesota. collegepossible.org

high schools with College Possible students across Minnesota

6,120

college degrees earned to date

177+

colleges and universities with College Possible Minnesota students

College Possible Minnesota

We are a trusted, community-driven organization that grows with the students and families we serve. When funding shifts, we adapt. When other programs shut their doors, we stay open.

When the world is uncertain, our commitment is unconditional.

That’s what 25 years means.

Not just longevity, but deep commitment.

In 2025, College Possible Minnesota celebrated 25 years at the Homecoming Gala, honoring founder Jim McCorkell and the community who made this work possible from the start.

How We Stay

The difference isn’t just a program.

The difference is a coach who stays.

The students we serve face obstacles throughout their unique college journey—financial, academic, cultural, and personal. What makes the difference isn’t a single intervention. It’s a relationship that persists.

The relationship starts junior year of high school, when students are matched with a near-peer coach— someone close to their age, often from a similar background, who becomes their guide through the maze of applications, financial aid, essays, and decisions. Our coaches don’t just hand students information.

They sit with them. They help families understand the true cost of college, compare financial aid packages, and make the biggest financial decision many have ever faced.

When a student commits to a college, we don’t leave. Before they graduate high school, we introduce them to their college advising specialist—a dedicated, full-time professional who will walk with them from orientation through graduation. Advising specialists are trusted mentors who stay through the entirety of their students’ college journey.

Throughout college, our advisors help students navigate the hurdles that often lead to stopping out —a failed class, a family crisis, or a financial gap. We know the path through higher education isn’t always linear; therefore, our advisors stay present through every high and low. Even if a student pauses their education, College Possible Minnesota doesn’t just stay in touch; we continue to provide active coaching. We stay engaged so that when they’re ready to return, they aren’t starting over—they’re picking up right where they left off.

1

2

3

4

Explore and Prepare

Select, Apply and Finance

Transition to College

Persist through Transition Graduation to Career

High School Junior Year

High School Senior Year

Summer Bridge

College Years

collegepossible.org

5

Graduation

2024-2025

93%

applied to at least one college

89%

FAFSA completion rate

85%

college enrollment rate

92%

first-year persistence (fall to spring)

3x

more likely to earn a degree vs. peers from similar backgrounds

“My coach played a pivotal role in helping me navigate college applications and apply for outside scholarships. The guidance I received was truly lifechanging and a direct result of the incredible work College Possible does.”

— Faisa, St. Catherine University ‘25

How We Stay GABRIELA:

An Unstoppable Force.

My name is Gabriela and I’m the daughter of two immigrant parents. I was the first in my immediate and extended family to obtain a master’s degree.

My brothers and I grew up as a first-generation family. We navigated what it means to be in the United States for the first time, have parents that don’t speak English, and a lot of cultural norms. My parents dreamed of their kids having a better education than they did, but I didn’t know how to turn that dream into reality and I doubted college was for me. That’s when I found College Possible.

I remember submitting my first college application and I cried. I thought to myself that this is what my parents dreamed of and all those doubts that I had about whether college was for me were completely out of my head by the time I graduated.

Today, I’m a practicing social worker. It’s a career in which I’m able to see my impact each day, and without a college degree, I wouldn’t be doing what I felt called to do. At one point, that degree felt out of reach. Without College Possible, I don’t know if I would’ve gotten into college.

My coach helped me believe that I do belong in the higher education space. I feel like I’m unstoppable.

St. Catherine University ‘23

collegepossible.org

BENJAMIN:

The College Possible Network.

I was drawn to College Possible because of the community it helps create.

My dad graduated from college but my mom never attended. I had some idea about what to expect but I wasn’t sure what it would be like and I didn’t want to get lost in the process. When my counselor recommended College Possible, I was curious if it could help provide the support I needed to get ready for college.

Without College Possible, I would’ve had a much different trajectory.

It helped me improve my ACT score, every college application I submitted, and my personal statement. I remember being intimidated to apply to scholarships but my College Possible coach walked me through it. She made things a lot easier.

Most of the people in my College Possible high school cohort were introverts and from a minority background.

Our coach helped us feel like we were part of a larger community and made me feel less alone. With her support, all of us felt like we belonged and had a place on a college campus.

Today, I work in software engineering and I still hang out with the friends I made from College Possible. I’m so grateful that it helped me build a supportive community and created a vital lifelong network.

University of Minnesota Twin Cities ‘22

What Staying Creates

They graduate.

They build careers.

They lead in Minnesota.

50%

EARN $60,000+ ANNUALLY

94%

OF ALUMNI ARE EMPLOYED

3 in 1 ALUMNI ARE DEBT-FREE

71%

ARE SAVING FOR RETIREMENT

collegepossible.org

When College Possible students earn their degrees, they don’t just change their own trajectory, they strengthen their families, their communities, and the state.

Our alumni are working across Minnesota as teachers, nurses, engineers, social workers, and entrepreneurs. They’re earning sustainable wages, saving for the future, and contributing to the economic vitality of the communities that raised them. Minnesotans love Minnesota, and our graduates prove it. They stay here. They build here. They give back here.

“College Possible has been there for me beyond academics - it’s also supported my personal growth. During my first year of college, my coach helped me find a job on campus closer to where I lived. I still work at that job today, nearly four years later.”

— Maria, University of Minnesota Twin Cities ‘25

The Next

We Are Not Done.

Not Even Close.

In 2026, College Possible Minnesota will serve 6,500 students. But the need across the state is far greater than what we can reach today. Our goal is to serve 10,000 Minnesotan students annually by 2030.

To get there, we’re expanding in every direction. We are reaching into rural communities where college support and resources are limited, deepening partnerships with high schools and colleges statewide, and investing in innovation that makes our coaching more effective without losing the human connection that anchors our work.

collegepossible.org collegepossible.org

Looking Forward We’re equipping students and families with tools to understand the true cost and value of higher education, democratizing information that has historically been available only to those who could afford it.

And we’re doing all of this in a moment when public funding for programs like ours is disappearing. Since July 2025, we’ve deepened partnerships with our individual and corporate supporters to bridge the gap created from losses in federal funding. Renewed and new commitments from our community partners make our work possible because students can’t wait for the federal funding landscape to stabilize.

They need us now and we are here to stay.

6,500

STUDENTS SERVED IN 2026

10,000

STUDENTS ANNUALLY BY 2030

Rural Expansion Reaching students in greater Minnesota through community conversations and restructured programming that expands geographic barriers.

Full-Time Staff Dedicated, full-time college advising specialists foster longer-term student relationships to increase engagement and persistence.

Human Coaching + Technology Smart technology for administrative tasks means more time for human connection. We’re streamlining the ‘how’ so our coaches can focus on the ‘who’— their students.

Direct Admissions Partnership The first nonprofit to partner with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education on the statewide Direct Admissions initiative, a program that proactively notifies students of their college acceptance before they even apply—taking a proactive approach to college admission.

For 25 years, College Possible Minnesota has proven its staying power. A coach who showed up. An advisor who didn’t give up. An organization that never closed its doors.

BUT WE CAN’T STAY WITHOUT YOU. The students we serve are your neighbors’ kids. They attend your local high schools.

They’ll graduate from your state’s universities. And they’ll build their lives right here—in the communities that believe in them. When you invest in College Possible Minnesota, you’re not funding a program somewhere far away. You’re investing in a student down the street and in a future that goes beyond Minnesota.

collegepossible.org

Dear friends and partners, Twenty-five years ago, College Possible Minnesota was founded on a simple, fierce belief: that every young person in our state deserves a coach in their corner. Since then, I have watched our community navigate seasons of profound uncertainty. Yet, through every shift in the landscape—from disappearing federal funding to the hurdles facing our immigrant and first-generation families—one thing has remained constant: College Possible stays.

In Minnesota, our sense of community runs deep, and we take immense pride in caring for our young people. But we cannot ignore the contradiction that our state remains one of the most inequitable in the nation for students from low-income backgrounds.

Right now, too many students are being left behind.

When I look at the people we support, I don’t just see students; I see the next generation of nurses, teachers, and lawyers who will lead our state. By standing with them, we aren’t just funding an education; we are securing the advocates, educators, and innovators our community cannot afford to lose. This is how we build a stronger Minnesota—one student, one degree, one success story at a time.

As we look toward the next 25 years, our resolve is stronger than ever. I refuse to let opportunity feel fragile. This report is a testament to the power of staying, and it is an invitation for you to join us. By standing with College Possible, you are making a direct investment in the stability of our state and the brilliant future of our young people.

Thank you for being someone who stays.

With gratitude, BG Tucker Executive Director, College Possible Minnesota

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

755 Prior Avenue North, Suite 200 • St. Paul, MN 55104 DonateMN@CollegePossible.org

What makes college possible?

Someone who stays.

A special thank you to our legacy funders who have allowed us to stay: 3M Gives

Minneapolis Kids Fund

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

NorthStar Education Finance, Inc.

Cargill Foundation

Otto Bremer Trust

The Donaldson Foundation

Piper Sandler

Ecolab Foundation

Plymouth Lions Club

George Family Foundation

Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

Hardenbergh Foundation

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

H.E. & Helen Warren Foundation

The Sweitzer Foundation

Marsh and McLennan Agency LLC Company

Travelers Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation

US Bank Foundation

755 Prior Avenue North, Suite 200 • St. Paul, MN 55104 DonateMN@CollegePossible.org

College Possible is making college admission and success possible for students from low-income backgrounds through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.